Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils



June 10, 1.7930. B WEAVER I 1,763,608

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS Filed June 15, 1925 Patented June 10, 21.93()

,NlTED. STATES PATENT Fries i JOSEPH B. WEAJVER, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO GYRO PROCESS COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF MICIHIIGZAII' APPARATUS Fon TREATING HYDRocnmoN oILs Application mea June 15, 1925. *serial No. 37,243.

This `invention relates to apparatus for treating` hydrocarbon oils and relates more particularly to the production of improved low boiling point hydrocarbons suitable for use as motor fuel or the like. lThe invention, however, in certain of its aspects is not limited to the particular use mentioned as vcertain of the features ot' the apparatus have more general application.

Among the objects of the invention are: to provide an improved apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils in the vapor phase; to provide a means for preventing the detrimental deposit of carbon; to provide means so that such carbon as is necessarily formed will be precipitated at a predetermined location in the system and can be readil removed; to provide an improved form o convertor; to provide an improved arrangement for preheating and dehydrating the makeup stock, and in general to provide an improved apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils, particularly in the vapor phase.

The invention further resides in the utilization of' a pipe still and expander in connection with converting oils in the vapor phase, and in their use in connection with a method which involves the use of steam and a suitable agent (which term is intended to cover :so either a catalytic agent or a chemical reagent), and in such other features of construction and arrangements and combinations of parts as will more fully hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, of an apparatus embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the jet condenser or tar leg; and

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view through one of the pipes of the convertor.

ln the drawings which illustrateone embodiment of my invention, A designates av pipe still having an inlet A and an outlet a5 4It? leading to an ,expander` or expanding chamber B. YrIhe latter at its upper end is connected -by the pipes B to the inlet end et the convertor C and at its lower end the expander has a pipe B2 through which the heavy residue or liquid hydrocarbon may be drawn off. Interposed in the pipe or line B just before it reaches the convertor is a steam inlet D through which steam under pressure is forced, together with the vapors in the pipe B', into the convertor. The outlet end of the convertor C is connected with a jet condenser or tar leg E. At the upper end the jet condenser is provided with a nozzle F to which the make-up stock is conducted through a pipe F from the tank F2. In its u per portion the jet condenser E has a pipe (i) leading to a fractionating or scrubbing tower H while at its lower end the jet condenser or tar leg E is provided with a conduit I running back to the inlet end A of the pipe still A. The tower H also has at its lower end a conduit connecting with the conduit I, and at its .upper end the tower H is provided with a pipe J leading to a condenser L. The lower end ofthe latter is connected by a pipe L to a decanter M. As the product from the condenser L contains both water and hydrocarbon in liquid form and a fixed gas, the decanter is arranged to separate these in the tollowing manner: At the lower end of the decanter there is a water leg pipe N for conducting away the con- O for conducting away the resultant hydrocarbon oilproduct.A The fixed gas is conducted ofi through the pipe 0'.

`While the construction of the convertor forms the subject matter of a separate applidensed water and near the upper end a pipe cation Serial No. 37,245, filed June 15, 1925,

its construction in general as shown in Fig.

l is as follows: The pipe B which conductsthe vapors from the expander B opens into the header C of the convertor. `This header is divided into upper and lower sections by the "wall C2 and is connected to a similar header smaller from the top toward the' bottom so' that the rate of flow through the top tubes Vis .less than through the bottom tubes, This ytween the bars and the tube.

results in the contents of the upper tubes being-subjected to the heat for a longer time than the contents of the lower tubes and will equalize the heating effect due to the lower tubes being subjected to the higher heat. Other means may be employed to accomplish this, for example, the cores ot' the agent may be made in various cross-sections to limit the flow and produce the same result.

As shown in Fig. 3, the convertor tubes Q are filled with the agent. This may be ferrie oxid or other suitable substance and I have provided a novel arrangement for mounting and supporting the same within the tubes. The ferrie oxid or other agent is mixed in a plastic and formed in bars S which are substantially star-shaped in cross-section. The bars are preferably of less length than the tubes Qand each bar is oit'set as shown in Fig. 3 s o as to cause the vapors to more completely impinge against the agent. This arrangement of the bars S not only presents a large surface of the ferrie oxid or other agent for the vapors to impinge against but it also increases the lite of the tubes Q; By constructing the bars in the form of a star in cross-section there are only two points of Icontact be- Moreover, the vapors in place of passing through the agent, pass between the latter and the inner walls of the convertor tubes Q and absorb the heat directly from the walls. The bars are formed by 4mixing the ferrie oxid with a suitable plastic which is then forced or extruded through a suitable die to give it the proper cross-sectional form.

Describing next in detail the jet condenser or tar leg E, the construction of the latter is as follows: The vapors passing from the convertor C are discharged into the chamber E of the jet condenser or tar leg E. At the upper end of thischamber is arranged the nozzle F which is adapted to spray the'liquid make-up stock and commingle them with the' vapors. This commingling is further as sisted by the`placing of metal jackstones T through which the commingled converted vapors and make-up stockpass down to the chamber E2 before reaching the discharge chamber E3 from which the vapors pass through the pipe J to the fractionated or scrubbing tower H. In order to facilitate the cleaning ot' the jackstones T, a novel arrangement is provided. They are formed separately in Vorder to give al large exposed area but are mounted in rings or groups by Stringing a plurality of the separate elements or jackstones on a wire T. In this manner the jackstones can be removed rapidly for cleaning whenever it is found necessary. The operation of the jet condenser or tar leg E is best described in connection with the following process although it is to be understood thatwhile its use is peculiarly adapted t0 l such process the invention in certain of its broader aspects is not limited to such use.

In this process the hydrocarbon to be treated is passed through the inlet A to the pipe still A where it is raised to a temperature of approximately 700 F., which, however, may be varied according to the characteristics of the charging stock. The heated oils then pass through the outlet pipe A2 under some pressure, for example, 25 poundsI per square inch where they are discharged into the expander B. Owing to the sudden release ofthe pressure, complete vaporization ofthe lighter ends takes place and the vapors pass through the pipe B at approximately" 600o F. to the inlet end of the convertor C. The heavy ends are drawn oft' through the. pipeBz, any desired gravity being obtained by regulating the degree of heating in the pipe still and the pressure in the expander. Just bet'ore reaching the convertor they are commingled with steam under pressure and the combined oil vapors and steam vapors are then subjected to the action of the agent in the convertor under temperature of about 1100o F. and are caused to take up a certain percentage of hydrogen from the steam.

In cooling the vapors down from the high temperature of the convertor to the desired temperature for the fractionating tower and condenser, diliculty is encountered in preventing the apparatus from being rendered inoperative by carbon deposits. I have discovered that most of the carbon is deposited in cooling down from the convertor temperature of 1100o F. to a temperature of about 600 F. and that on lowering the temperature below that point there is very little carbon deposit. This discovery is utilized in pro- .Viding an additional step in the process whereby the vapors coming from the condenser are caused to commingle in the tar leg E with the make-up stock from the tank F2. In so doing, the vapors are cooled to a temperature of approximately 450 F. and the carbon is deposited in the liquid in the lower portion ofthe tar leg chamber E2. The carbon being deposited in the liquid can be conveniently removed at predetermined times when the liquid in the bottom of the tar leg E2 becomes too thick. A clean-out door E4 is provided in the tar leg for this purpose. In practice, it is found that it is not necessary to remove this liquid more than once in 48 hours.

The use of the make-up stock in the jet condenser for cooling the vapors from the converters performs another important function, namely, it permits the jet condenser to act as a topper or stripper tor removing the gasoline content from the fresh stock of hydrocarbon oil and also serves to dehydrate the make-up stock before it passes through the pipe I to the inlet end A of the still. It

. vertor pass, said chamber containing a plualso permits of a control ofthe end point of the vapors from the fractionating tower, to which the vapors pass from the jet condenser through the pipes Gr. The fractionatng tower H may be of any well-known construction and in some instances a scrubbing tower may be substituted in placeof the fractionating tower. Such vapors as will vaporize at the desired temperature, for example, at approximately 437 F. orless, pass out of the fractionating or scrubbing tower H through the pipe J to lthe condenser L While higher boiling point fractionsv are returned through the pipe H and the pipe I to the still A for the purpose of further treatment. The oil and Water vapors are then condensed in the usual manner in the condenser L and separated as previously described in the4 decanter M.

While I have shown and described theap' paratus `in connection with a process to which it is particularly adapted, I do not desire to limit the apparatus to use in connection with such process nor to the details of construction and arrangements of parts except as ultimately set forth in the claims. For example, Water could be used in place of the liquid hydrocarbon in the jet condenser and v While I use a jet condenser inthe tar leg for cooling the vapors, it is possible in certain aspects of the invention to utilize other means for cooling the vapors and various other changes in construction and arrangementof parts can be made Within the scope of my 1nvention.

`What I claim as my inventionis:

1. In apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil, the combination with a convertor in which the oil is subjected to a high temperature, of a chamber to Which the products of the conrality of jackstones or the like, said jackstones being mounted in groups, and each group being removable from the chamber as a unit.

2. In an apparatus for cracking hydrocarbon oil innthe vapor phase, the combinay tion with a pipe still, vmeans for passing oil through said pipe still and therein subjecting t-he oil to` temperatures sufliciently high to effect vaporization of a portion thereof without substantially cracking the same, an expander' arranged to receive the entire body of the oil released from said pipe still and serving to separate thev liquid and vaporous fractions of the oil discharged from said still, separate outlets for removing from said expander the liquid and vaporous fractions ot the oil, a converter through which the vaporized fractions of lthe oil alone are passed, means for heating the oil vapor passing through said converter toa temperature in excess of`1000 F., a cooler situated directly at the outlet of said converters,

e means disposed immediately adjacent to the position of entry l'of the vapors for introducing liquid oil into said cooler and into' intimate contact With the oil vapors discharged from, said converter to ei'ect a quick reduction in the temperature of said vapors to a temperature not iu excess of 6000 F. precluding the liberation of free carbon, means for passing the liquid oil from said cooler to said pipe still, and means for fractionating and condensing the vapors released from said Cooler.

3. In appara-tus for cracking hydrocarbon oilin the vapor phase, the combination with a pipe -still through which the oil under treatment is passed and subjected to tem peratures suiiciently high tovaporize a portin at ,least of said oil, of an expander arranged to receive the oil discharged from said pipe still under `reduced pressures whereby the lighter constituents of said oil are vaporized, the oil in passing through said expander being removed from extraneously applied heat, means Ifor separately withdrawing the vapors and liquid constituents of the oil from said expander, a converter arranged to receive only the vaporous constituents of the oil released Afrom said expander, means for heating the oil vapor passing` through said converter to a temperature in excess of 1000o F., a cooler situated directly at the outlet of said converter, means disposed immediately adjacent to the position of entry of the vapors for introducing liquid oil into said cooler into intimate contact with the vapors discharged from said converter in such quantities as to effect a quick reduction in the temperature of said vapors to temperatures not in excess of 600 F. precluding substantially the liberation of :tree carbon, and means for ractionating and 3,

condensing the vapors released from said cooler. v

4. In an apparatus for cracking hydrocarbon oil in the vapor phase, the combination of a converter, means for passing oil vapor through said converter and heating the same during such passage to tempera-tures in excess of 10000 F., a cooler situated directly at the outlet of said converter and connected therewith to directly receive therefrom the oil vapors discharged from the converter When said vapors are ata temperature in excess of 1000O F., means disposed immediately contiguous to thepoint of entry of tl e vapors tor introducing'liquid oil into said cooler into intimate contact With the oil vapors discharged from said converter at said last named temperature to edect a quick reduction in temperature ot said vapors to temperatures not in excess of 600 F. precluding substantially the liberation of freel carbon, and means for fractionating' and condensing the vapors released from said cooler.

5. In an apparatus for cracking hydrocarbon oil in the vapor phase, the combination of a converter, means for passing oil vapor through said converter and heating the saine during such passage to temperatures in excess of 1000o F., a cooler situa-ted directly at the outlet of said converter and connected therewith to directly receive therefrom the oil vapors discharged from the converter when said vapors are at a temperature in eX- cess of 1000o F., means disposed immediately adjacent the point of entry of the vapors into the cooler for introducing continuously an unhcated body of oil into said cooler for intimate contact and parallel How with the converter vapors therein, whereby the temperature ot' said vapors is lowered sufficiently through heat interchange with said unheated oil to minimize the liberation of free carbon from said oil by quickly reducing said oil to non-reactive temperatures not in excess of 600O F.. means for withdrawing liquid oil from said cooler, and means for fractionating the vapors released from the cooler without additionally heat treating the same.

In testimony whereot' I affix my. signature.

JOSEPH B. WEAVER. 

